Elite Welding

What Elite Welding does

Elite Welding Academy (EWA), legally Elite Welding Academy LLC, is a private vocational training institution and wholly owned subsidiary of United Group Services, an industrial construction firm. Founded by welders and operated as a non-profit-structured school, EWA delivers hands-on welding education across two Ohio campuses — Cincinnati (54 welding booths at 4670 Dues Drive) and South Point (16 booths at 1910 County Road 1) — totaling 70 training stations. The curriculum centers on a four-tier program ladder spanning 110 to 1,000 clock hours: an Intro to Industrial Construction program, a 240-hour Manufacturing Welding/SP program, a 600-hour Structural Welding program, and the flagship 1,000-hour Structural & Pipe Welding program. Instruction covers SMAW (Stick), GMAW (MIG), GTAW (TIG), and FCAW (Flux-Core) processes, with code-specific pipe training to ASME B31.1 standards, integrated OSHA-10 safety certification, and AWS welding qualifications issued upon completion. Student-to-instructor ratio is maintained at 18:1, and over 90% of instructional time is hands-on lab work in welding booths with unlimited access to plates, pipe, and fittings.

EWA's business model is a one-time tuition model with bundled tools and materials. Tuition ranges from $2,842 (110-hour intro) to $21,103 (1,000-hour flagship), with payment plans and a diversified funding stack including Title IV federal aid, GI Bill benefits (VA-approved), WIOA workforce-development funding across Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Indiana, Ohio TechCred grants, Lumion alternative loans, and Pell Grants. A secondary corporate revenue stream provides AWS Accredited Test Facility services, weld procedure writing, NCCER training (welding, pipefitting, scaffolding), and custom corporate training to construction, manufacturing, energy, and industrial employers. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the eliteweldingacademy.com website, online application through the Orbund SIS platform, campus tours, and organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube), with a stated employment-pipeline value proposition anchored by parent United Group Services and over 90 historical hiring partners.

Accreditations and compliance are central to the value proposition: ACCET institutional accreditation, AWS Accredited Test Facility (ATF), GI Bill approval, NCCER Training Sponsor designation, and Ohio TechCred participation. Leadership is headed by President Genois Mayer (joined 2015, MBA from Texas Southern University), supported by a Director of Testing and Training, Operations Manager, Enrollment Manager, Marketing Manager, Sr. Lead Instructor, and approximately 10 additional instructional and administrative staff. The institution explicitly markets its 90%+ graduate employment outcomes, $21-$25/hour starting pay for pipe welders, and lifetime placement support.

Name

Elite Welding

Legal name

Elite Welding Academy LLC

Website

https://eliteweldingacademy.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Elite Welding Academy is a private, ACCET-accredited vocational school operating two Ohio campuses (Cincinnati and South Point) that delivers hands-on welding training programs (110 to 1,000 hours) to career-changers, veterans, and WIOA-funded job seekers, while providing AWS-accredited corporate testing and NCCER training to construction and industrial employers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Welding Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Apprenticeship Training (611513)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arc Welding (SMAW/GMAW/FCAW/GTAW) Training (EDAOADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pipe Welding & Industrial Piping Fabrication Training (EDAOADAB), Welding Codes, Safety & Compliance Training (AWS/ASME/OSHA) (EDAOADAG), Structural Steel Welding & Erection-Focused Training (EDAOADAC), Welding Inspection, QA/QC & NDT Prep Training (e.g., CWI) (EDAOADAF)

Keywords

• Welding training programs
• Vocational welding education
• Corporate weld testing
• Pipe welding certification
• Skilled trades training

Headquarters

HQ city

Baldwin Park, California

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition - Structural and Pipe Welding Program: Comprehensive 1000-hour program with tuition, lab materials, and tools bundled. Total cost approximately $21,103 for the full program. Day classes run 26 weeks; night classes run 44 weeks.
2. Tuition - Structural Welding Program: 600-hour structural welding program costing approximately $12,706 total. Night classes run 25 weeks.
3. Tuition - Manufacturing Welding/SP Program: 240-hour manufacturing welding program totaling approximately $4,759 including registration fee.
4. Tuition - Intro to Industrial Construction: 110-hour introductory program costing approximately $2,842 total including registration fee.
5. Corporate Training and Testing Services: Weld testing, procedure writing, and custom training services for companies seeking to upskill employees or assess new hires' skills.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Elite Welding Academy is a private vocational welding training school operating two Ohio campuses (Cincinnati and South Point) that delivers hands-on welding education programs ranging from a 110-hour introductory course to a 1,000-hour Structural & Pipe Welding program covering SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, and FCAW processes to ASME B31.1 code standards. The school also provides corporate services including AWS Accredited Test Facility weld testing, procedure writing, NCCER training, and custom corporate training. Graduates earn OSHA-10, AWS welding qualifications, and benefit from lifetime job placement support, with direct employment pathways into the parent company's industrial construction projects.

Product overview

Elite Welding Academy operates as a vocational training institution offering structured welding education programs. The core product portfolio includes the Structural & Pipe Welding Training Program (1,000 hours) as the flagship comprehensive offering, supported by the Structural Welding Program (600 hours), Manufacturing Welding/SP Program (240 hours), and Intro to Industrial Construction (110 hours). In addition to student programs, the academy provides corporate services including AWS weld testing, procedure writing, and NCCER training. The institution maintains two campuses in Ohio (Cincinnati and South Point) and offers career placement support, with graduates receiving industry-recognized AWS welding qualifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Structural & Pipe Welding Training Program A comprehensive 1,000-clock-hour vocational training program for individuals pursuing careers in pipe welding, structural welding, and manufacturing welding. Students learn SMAW, GTAW, GMAW, and FCAW processes on carbon and stainless steel, and earn OSHA-10 and AWS welding qualifications. Available in day (26 weeks) and night (44 weeks) class formats.
• Structural Welding Program A 600-clock-hour structural welding program for individuals pursuing commercial and industrial structural welding careers. Teaches SMAW, GMAW, and FCAW procedures with emphasis on welding safety, equipment set-up, and maintenance. Night class runs 25 weeks. Title IV Federal Aid eligible.
• Manufacturing Welding/SP Program A 240-hour (11-week) evening program teaching manufacturing welding and semi-automatic processes. Class schedule is Monday-Thursday 4:30 PM to 10:30 PM. Total cost approximately $4,759 including registration fee, payable in two installments.
• Intro to Industrial Construction A 110-hour (3-week) introductory program covering basic industrial construction concepts and skills for individuals considering entry into the skilled trades. Total cost approximately $2,842 including registration fee.
• Corporate Weld Testing AWS Accredited Test Facility (ATF) service providing weld testing performed by Certified Weld Inspectors (CWIs) with field welding experience. Offered to companies needing third-party weld qualification testing and to individuals pursuing AWS credentials.
• Procedure Writing Professional corporate welding procedure writing services helping companies develop and refine welding procedures aligned with their unique requirements and industry standards.
• NCCER Training NCCER Training Sponsor program providing industry-recognized credentials in welding, pipefitting, and scaffolding. Available as task-specific training or train-the-trainer programs for companies seeking to upskill their workforce.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pipe welder starting pay: $21-$25/hour
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• United Group ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company that founded Elite Welding Academy to train welders for real-world careers. Graduates can finish training on Friday and start working Monday through United Group Services. This partnership provides direct employment pipeline and access to industrial materials and equipment.
• American Welding Society (AWS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEWA is an AWS Accredited Test Facility (ATF) offering weld testing, procedure writing, and training. Students earn AWS welding qualifications upon graduation. AWS scholarship program available for students.
• NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElite is a proud NCCER Training Sponsor specializing in welding, pipefitting, and scaffolding training. NCCER credentials are industry-recognized standards for construction and craft professionals.
• WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) OfficesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with WIOA offices in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Indiana to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services. Students can receive funding through local workforce offices.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Universal Technical Institute (UTI): Large publicly-traded provider of technical and trade education including welding and industrial programs. Comparable in serving career-changers with hands-on training, but operates at significantly greater scale across multiple skilled trades.
• Lincoln Electric Welding Training: Major welding equipment manufacturer that operates a Welding Technology & Training Center providing welding education; competes for both student enrollments and corporate training revenue while also supplying the consumables and equipment used by schools like Elite.
• Lincoln Tech: Multi-trade vocational school operator with campuses across the U.S. offering welding among many other skilled-trade programs. Broader portfolio than Elite but directly comparable in welding curriculum and career-focused training model.

Others

• American Welding Society (AWS): Industry-credentialing body that sets welding qualification standards and accredits test facilities like Elite's. Not a direct competitor but a key ecosystem participant whose certifications underpin Elite's value proposition.

Direct peers

• Tulsa Welding School & Technology Center: One of the largest dedicated welding schools in the U.S., offering multi-process welding training programs with similar tuition-based business model. Operates campuses in Tulsa, Jacksonville, and Houston with comparable hands-on curricula.
• Hobart Institute of Welding Technology: Long-established welding-focused technical school in Troy, Ohio offering comprehensive welding training with industry-recognized certifications. Closely comparable in scope, credentials, and trade-school positioning to Elite.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/eliteweldingacademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/eliteweldingacademy
• TikToktiktok.com/@eliteweldingacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elite-welding

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Elite Welding